de palaoio



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. A. DE- PALAGIO.

AERIAL RAILWAY.

Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

' Q15 NORRIS PETERS p9, PNUIO-LITHO.. wAsmmimmn r:v

(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 2. M. A. DE PALAGIO.

AERIAL RAILWAY.

No. 602,239. Patented Apr. 12, 1898.

Wdnmwem- 7% 613% W $4600 NITED STATE PATENT Prion.

MARTIN ALBERTO DE PALAOIO, OF MADRID, SPAIN.

AERIAL RAILWAY.

SPEGIFI CATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 602,239, dated April 12, 1898.

Application filedDecember 20, 1897. Serial 115,662,530. (N0 model.) Patented in Spain J l 6, 1895, No. 17,485,- in France August 22, 1395, No. 249,812} in Belgium August 22, 1395, N0. 117,108; in Switzerland August 22,1895,N0-10,987,' in Germany August 26, 1895,No. 91,356, and in Sweden September 19,1895, No. 8,056.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN ALBERTO DE PALAOIO, of Michel 'Angel, Madrid, Spain, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Aerial Railways, of which the following is a specification, and for which patents have been obtained in France, No. 249,812, dated August 22, 1895; in Belgium, No. 117,108, dated August 22, 1895; in Germany, No. 91,356, dated August 26, 1895; in Switzerland,

'No. 10,987, dated August 22, 1895; in Spain,

resents a transverse sectional view ofdifferent types of bars which may be employed for the rails. Figs. 3 and 4 represent, respectively, a face view anda side view of one of the sup porting-pillars of the railway. Fig. 5 represents a side View of a portion of the railway with a train running upon it. Fig. 6 is a side view, on a larger scale than Fig. 5, of a portion of the railway and the train. Fig. 7 represents a transverse section of the railway on a still larger scale, and Fig. 8 a longitudinal section.

A designates the way, properly so called, constituted by a line of rigid rails, spliced end to end.

B designates the supporting-pillars, and O the suspension-cables which I employ to assist in supporting the way when the spacing ot the pillars is Veryconsiderable or when special circumstances require that the undulations of the line should not be too pronounced.

Fig. 1 shows how the several chains formed by the line of rails between the supports are joined end to end to constitute together a rigid undulating and continuous metal way or track.

The rails, spliced end to end, which com pose the way or track, may be of any transverse sectional form. Fig. 2 shows several forms which may be employed. The form of the supporting-pillars may naturally be varied considerably. It depends notably on the nature of the ground and its inclination.

The pillars should in all cases support the vertical pressure due, first, to the weight of the line itself; second, to the vertical pressure of the tensions to which the line is sub- The said pillars may have great I have represented as an example in Figs.

'3 and 4 a simple pillar which supports a line set up on horizontal ground. that this pillar is capable of oscillating about It may be seen its base in the direction of the length of the differences of tensions between the sections of the track situated on one side and the other.

As to the mode of suspension of the track from the pillars it may be varied according to the transverse sectional form adapted for the rails, Figs. 3 and 4 showing an example of it. i

I have stated that in certain cases it was desirable and even indispensable to suspend the track by suspension-cables 0. Figs. 6 and 7 show a mode of suspension which may then be employed with advantage.

It may be seen that at suitable points in their length the suspension-cables are clampedbetween two iron or steel plates D, in which are secured eyebolts E, to which are hooked by their upper extremities suspension-rods F,which are attached at their lower extremities to the track A. This construction permits the track to be inclined and to so oscillate transversely as to yield to the action exercised by the wind upon the track and upon the rolling load. When this system of rail way is only employed for light traffic,the traction of the Vehicles which are to run upon it may be efiected, as in other cases, by means track in order to equalize automatically the of an endless traction-cable,which hasa constant motion imparted to it and to which the vehicles are attached when it is desired to run them; but this mode of traction will not be practicable when the traflic is heavier and the length of the line is considerable. In this case it is necessary to provide for the running on the track of real trains independent of each other, and consequently each furnished with its own motor. That would not present any difficulty if the track were horizontal; but it is not so in this track, which comprises a series of more or less pronounced upward and downward slopes. This necessitates the use for my suspended railway of a mode of traction which forms an indispensable complement to it. In order to carry out this, I employ to constitute the track rails of special U-form transverse section. The wheels of the carriages from which the vehicles are suspended run upon the upper faces of the two branches of the U, as shown in Fig. 7, and the hubs of these wheels are toothed to engage with a rack which extends the whole length of the track and which is situated in the throat of the U- rail. The wheels of the locomotive of the train are furnished, besides, with sprocket-wheels, which are driven through chains by an electric motor, with which the locomotive is furnished and which receives the current by means of a trolley from a cable arranged along the track, but'isolated therefrom. This arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

M designates one of the vehicles which compose the train, at the head of which is the electric locomotive Z.

O designates the insulated electric cond uctor, which extends along the track and furnishes-the current of the electric locomotive by means of a trolley 0.

As may be understood by the drawings, the rails constituting the track have the U -shaped transverse section, and each of the vehicles is suspended from two trains of wheels, composed each of two pairs, which run upon the upper faces of the vertical branches of the U These wheels have hubs which are toothed and constitute gears engaging with a double rack G, secured in the throat of the U. The wheels of the locomotive are each furnished with a sprocket-wheel P, and the two sprocketwheels of each pair are geared by a chain 19 with a sprocket-wheel P, mounted above the locomotive and of which the shaft is operated through a second chain 1) by the electric motor of the locomotive. This mode of traction permits the climbing of very steep in clines. It is particularly suitable for long railways, for which endless cable tract-ion would hardly be practicable.

As to the stations which may be established along the line of the railway, they present nothing special and may be of any suitable construction. 1

My improved aerial railway constructed as above described presents from an economical point of View important advantages. The construction is very easy, rapid, and comparatively inexpensive. It shortens the distances by being permitted to run always in straight lines. The expenses of working it are very slight, because the permanent track and the rollingstock are simple and light and the working stall? required will not be numerous. It permits the running of great speeds, because of there being no fear of collisions or of derailment.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails spliced end to end, parallel suspension-cables, pairs of clampingplates clamping these cables at intervals, eyebolt-s secured to the two plates of each pair, suspension-rods hooked to the eyebolts and secured to the rails, and pillars supporting at intervals the suspension-cables and the line of rails which take between the said pillars their respective curves of equilibrium, substantially as herein'described.

2. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails spliced end to end, and pillars which rest upon the ground in transverse lines about which they may oscillate and which serve to support at intervals the line of rails which takes between the said pillars its curve of equilibrium, substantially as herein described.

3. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails spliced end to end, one or more suspension-cables, means for suspendingthe line of rails from said cables, and pillars which rest upon the ground in transverse lines about which they may oscillate and which support at intervals the sus pension-cables and the line of rails which take between the said pillars their respective curves of equilibrium, substantially as herein described. 7

4:. 'An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails of U-shaped transverse section spliced end to end, a rack located in the throat of the U of the rail, and pillars supporting at intervals the line of rails which takes between said pillars its curve of equilibrium, substantially as herein described.

5. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails of U form spliced end to end, a rack located in the throat of the U of the rail, one or more suspension-cables, means for suspending the line of rails from said cables, and pillars for supporting at intervals the suspension-cables and the line of rails which take between said pillars their respective curves of equilibrium, substantially as herein described.

6. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails of U-shaped transverse section spliced end to end, a rack located in the channel of said rails, pillars for supporting at intervals the line of rails which takes between said pillars its curve of equilibrium, carriages the wheels of which run upon the vertical branches of the U-shaped rails and are furnished with teeth engaging with said wheels of which run upon theverticalbranches of the U-shaped rail and are furnished with teeth engaging with the rack, a vehicle suspended from these carriages, an electric mo tor in the said vehicle, a trolley for furnishing to the said motor the current which circulates in said electric conductor, and means for transmitting motion from the motor to the wheels above mentioned, substantially as described.

8. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails of U-shaped transverse section spliced end to end, a rack located in the channel of the U -shaped rail, one or more suspension-cables, means for suspending the line of rails from said cables, pillars for supporting-at intervals said cables and the line of rails which take between the pillars their respective curves of equilibrium, carriages the wheels of which run upon the vertical branches of the U-shaped rails and are furnished with teeth engaging with said rack, and vehicles suspended from these carriages, substantially as herein described.

9. An aerial railway comprising in combination a line of rails of U-shaped transverse section spliced end to end, a rack located in the channel of the U of the rail, one or more suspension-cables, means for suspending the line of rails from said cables, pillars for supporting at intervals the suspension-cables and the line of rails which take between said pil lars their respective curves of equilibrium, an electric conductor following the line of rails and insulated therefrom, carriages the wheels of whichrun upon the vertical branches of the U of the rails and are furnished with teeth engaging with the rack, a vehicle suspended from these carriages, an electric m0- tor in the vehicle, a trolley for furnishing to the motor the current which circulates in said electric conductor, and means for transmitting motion from the said motor to the abovementioned wheels for the purpose of driving them, all substantially as herein described.

MARTIN ALBERTO Dll PALACIO.

Witnesses:

RAFAEL MUfioZ Y ESTEBAN, ENRIQUE Mufioz Y MARTINEZ. 

